The Transcendant Truth
by SpinosaurusQueen3
Summary: Not Everything is what it seems to be. Transcendants known but never seen after they show up for the first time. There is something foul afoot. As the Darkness falls, and the Light struggles to stay lit, a new face will save them all... But there are secrets that should never be revealed. Friends will fight, blood be shed, lives taken. Can one being, with a fatal secret, save them?
1. Chapter 1: What the Hell Just Happened?

Everyone was quiet, they couldn't really believe what they had just seen. It all started with a seemingly normal girl, who just happened to be taking a walk down the street they were on. This...this girl who looked to be about thirteen, wearing a Karakura High School uniform. She had a black duffel bag casually thrown over her shoulder, with brown-gold har that covered her lest eye. The eye that could be seen was a piercing blue. It wasn't unsimilar to the bottomless ocean with icebergs dotting the water. She had a silver, box-chain bracelet around her right wrist, and black band around her left. The girl had four rings, three were silver and the fourth was gold. She had stopped a short distance away, eye wide and shocked at the scene before her.

Uryu was in a crater of cracked cement, Rukia was a little cut-up standing a ways down the street. Renji was on his knees in the center of the road, Byakuya was standing next to him as Ichigo laid in front of them, bleeding out from two holes in his chest. The girl approached slowly and said, "Are you alright? What happened?" in a tentative and deepish voice. When no answer graced the silence, she kneeled next to Uryu, concern showing evidently on her features. Once again she asked, although less tentative and more commanding, "what happened here?" Uryu gave her an incredulous look as she took a first-aid kit out of her duffel bag and tended to his injuries. Rukia just stood there, frozen and scared.

The girl just sighed and, in almost a whisper, asked, "Were you attacked…? By something you could not see?" Taking their continued silence as a yes, she took off her silver bracelet and pressed it into Uryu's palm stating, "If you ever find your own power insufficient… break this chain and recite this…" she whispered something in uryu's ear before striding over to Rukia and proceeding to care for her wounds as she said, "If you find yourself in a bind, and you cannot get away. Twist this thrice around her finger and call out these words…" The girl leaned in and said something in Rukia's ear while giving her her gold ring before leaning back and smiling and walking away.

Calling over her shoulder, "If you desperately need an explanation that you cannot find…, go to Karakura Library Archives and ask for Annabella Sogen," the girl turned and smirked stating, "And I will help to the best of my ability." before she disappeared into the night.

They were all thoroughly confused. Rukia more than anyone else. She seemed to be in a bit of a daze, not quite fully aware of her surroundings. ¨Ru-Rukia?¨ Ichigo called, voice hoarse. He descended into a coughing fit, blood bubbling through his lips. She didn't respond. Renji then walked over and, not so gently, grabbed her shoulder. Rukia twitched before blinking a few times before looking a Renji and then Ichigo. She sighed before saying an a whisper ¨I will go with you willingly, but let Ichigo live.¨ Byakuya, ever so slightly inclined his head before looking at Renji, who took his sword and prepared to open a Senkaimon.

¨HA-AH-HAHAHA-A-HA!¨ a white blur that was laughing like a maniac cannoned into Renji, grabbing his Zanpakuto and jumping on top of a street lamp. ¨Looky looky~¨ it sang as it twirled Zabimaru around it. ¨I. GOT. ZA~BI~¨ and launching itself at Byakuya. He raised his sword and actually looked surprised when he blocked its' strike. ¨I. SEEEE. YOOU.¨ it sang before disappearing and reappearing behind the Captain of the Sixth, sword coming down on his shoulder, drawing blood in a spray of crimson. Before being batted away into a shadow where it disappeared, as it called out, ¨Be glad that Mistress is calling, else you'd be dead~¨ Leaving the night quiet once again. Zabimaru then clattered to the ground, in it's sealed state, in front of Renji. Which brings us back to five spiritually-powered beings shocked beyond words.

Renji quickly grabbed Zabimaru. Looking around quickly, as if afraid someone else would grab his precious Zanpakuto. He then quickly opened a Senkaimon, through which three Black Butterflies came through, and one-by-one they all stepped into the door, with Rukia being the last. Just before the door closed, she looked back and made eye-contact with Ichigo, she opened her mouth to say something, but the doors closed and vanished.


	2. Chapter 2: Who is Anabella Sogen?

Ichigo was walking across the streets of Karakura Town after completing Urahara's "training". Mulling over what happened the night Rukia left, or taken, depends on how you view it. Making his decision, he changed course and headed towards the Library. He hadn't actually been there, but bases on how the girl, Anabella, had acted acted, she was spiritually aware, or at least knew of the spirit world. So, worst come to worst, he says that Uryu told him about her and… No! That wouldn't work, would it? He growled quietly with frustration. Either way he was already there, so why hesitate?

Ichigo took a single, deep, breath before venturing inside the Ancient Archives. He looked around a bit before sauntering over to the 'HELP DESK'. The lady stationed there gazed at him with a critical, yet lazy eye before asking, in a sweet honeyed tone that to anyone else would sound cheery, but he heard the malice laced within. "What do you need help with sir?" Ichigo paused for a moment before stating in a bored tone, "I'm looking for Anabella Sogen, is she around?" The lady gave a barely hidden start, her gaze becoming more critical and alert, and asked warily, "And why are you looking for someone by that name?"

"I am looking for her in regards to her helping a friend of mine about a week ago." He paused, carefully considering his next words. "I have come to thank her on my friends behalf." The woman seemed to understand, but was still wary and asked, "Why don't you thank her at school? I mean, you do go to Karakura High, correct?" He nodded, guard up. "Then why haven't you thanked her there?"

"I haven't been feeling well, and I just found the time today." She gazed at him with eyes of frosted steel. "Very well," the platinum-haired woman aquised. "She is on the second floor, translating some… ancient texts for me." "Thanks." He nodded as he walked away, freezing as she called, "I hope you find what you seek… Shinigami." Ichigo whirled around a demand forming on his lips before, but the ice-woman was gone.

Feeling uncomfortable, Ichigo quickened his pace and a few minutes later, he was on the second floor. Walking around he soon found her. Duffel-bag on the floor. Next to a sleek Ash desk covered with stacks of books and a single desk-lamp providing light. Her hair was covering her face as she was hunched over a leather-bound Tome with a tan notebook and various pieces of paper surrounding it, muttering to herself. As she glanced from the Tome to the notebook, to the loose-leaf paper, to the notebook she was writing in she asked, "Well are you just going to stand there, or are you going to take a seat?" Her voice holding the same commanding tone that it when she was talking that night.

Ichigo quickly took a seat and Anabella stopped what she was doing, and after writing the page number from the Tome on a sheet of paper, she closed the both books before setting them aside and gesturing for Ichigo to say what he wanted to. "What were you doing that night?" he asked, getting straight to the point. "You will have to be a little more specific… Ichigo Kurosaki." Anabella purred. Mildly surprised that she knew his name, he said, "You know exactly what night I am talking about, that night, a week ago. When you gave Uryu that bracelet, and Rukia that ring." he yelled, temper flaring. "My, my. You certainly have a temper that matches your reputation. Perhaps even exceeds it." Anabella mused before continuing on, cutting off a retort. "Yes, I do know of the night you speak of. As for your first question, I was merely returning home and decided to be a Good Samaritan and help those in need. But how do YOU know about that? You weren't there, and I would know if either of them talked." Ichigo was in a bind. Should he take the gamble that she had seen him there and decided to ignore him then so as to seem as if she was a truly normal, albeit a concerned human. Or should he try to lie about how he knew. He briefly considered throwing Urahara under the proverbial bus, but decided against it.

There was silence for a few minutes, Anabella had gone back to translating the Tome while Ichigo sat there thinking over what he should tell her. He made his decision and steeled his resolve. "I am a Shinigami." he practically growled. Anabella stopped writing and looked at him once again, a semi-expectant expression on her face. He continued to explain what was happening, but left out the fact that he was planning on going to the Soul Society to rescue Rukia. "What are you not telling me?" She asked with a predatory malice. He gave her an incredulous look. Anabella merely sighed before standing up and grabbing her duffel bag. Before Ichigo could ask what she was doing, a leather bag etched with runes was tossed onto his lap. "Those are Artifact Shards." She said with a cold seriousness that caused him to do a double-take on her appearance. She was holding herself the way an experienced military commander did when debriefing. "The instructions to use them are written on the bag. Ask your Quincy friend, or your Zanpakuto spirit to translate them for you." She turned away and grabbed her supplies and started putting them away. "A word of warning however. Do not utilize them until you have translated all of the runes. Also, do not use them rashly. There is only pain down that path."

Ichigo sat there in mute shock. Her actions and words puzzled him. One moment she was cold, calculating, and jaded. The next she was warm, welcoming, understanding, and wiser than her years. There was one commonality with the two sides of her that he has seen, she instructs, teaches, and leads. She was an Enigma, that much was certain. Before he could thank her, ask another question, or say anything, she interrupted him. Rudely. "You need to leave now." A bell rang. "The Library is Closing." she gestured for him to go. Turning her back on him and disappearing behind the ancient stacks of books.

One book fell unnoticed onto the floor, Ichigo went to tell her that she had dropped something. Before noticing that is was a Codex. A Translation Key for the runes on the bag she had handed him. Feeling slightly guilty, he picked-up the pocket-sized book and pocketed it as he walked away. He tossed a goodbye over his shoulder out of habit. Not noticing a pair of mismatched eyes watching him leave.

"So, you decided to be self-reliant," a silky deep voice said, fondness and worry in its tone, almost echoing in the darkness. "Be careful of the path you walk upon… It will not always be so forgiving, My Brother." A creature stepped into the light. The owner of the voice and eyes. Black, menacing metal blades catching the light. "But I will always be there to guide you, protect you, rescue you, and Avenge you. You may not remember, but I do, and always will. I hope you are prepared Teina"


End file.
